The government will no longer use the term "lifelong singles" as a label for people who have not married by age 50, deeming the term inaccurate as Japanese are increasingly tying the knot later in life, officials said Thursday. (Japan Today)

A woman was killed and 16 other people injured Friday after a bus carrying Chinese tourists collided with multiple vehicles on an expressway in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, local police said. (Japan Today)

The government will no longer use the term "lifelong singles" as a label for people who have not married by age 50, deeming the term inaccurate as Japanese are increasingly tying the knot later in life, officials said Thursday. (Japan Today)

Kyoto Prefectural Police have arrested a 23-year-old male Australian national who is suspected of scrawling graffiti in dozens of locations in Kyoto City, reports Fuji News Network (May 22). (tokyoreporter.com)

Carriers in Japan and Taiwan have become the first in Asia to say they will not sell Huawei Technologies' new smartphones in the wake of U.S. restrictions, with a South Korean peer saying it may follow suit. (Nikkei)

It's a spring morning as seven food trucks pitch up by an office building in Ginza, where a few curious workers are already nosing around for lunch options. Run by husband-and-wife duo Naoya and Rieko Shibutani, the Pieni Kissa van is a big hit and queues quickly form to take advantage of its best-selling taco rice. (Nikkei)

Toyota Motor has brought back its Supra sports car after a 17-year absence. The new two-seater model was released on Friday in Japan, with its engine provided by the company's German partner, BMW.
(NHK)

A Japanese lawmaker said Monday he will not resign as a Diet member after opposition parties submitted a joint motion urging him to quit for alluding to Japan waging war with Russia to regain control of a group of disputed islands. (Japan Today)

A male Canadian national employed at a day care facility in Kitakyushu City who was caught abusing a child on video has had his contract canceled by the facility, reports Fuji News Network (May 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

This year's pass ratio of female applicants for admission to the scandal-tainted Tokyo Medical University, which had discriminated against women for more than a decade, was slightly higher than that of male applicants, figures released by the university have shown. (Japan Times)

In recent years, we've heard a number of disturbing accounts involving teachers hitting students at Japanese schools, and this week, another disturbing case came to light, when a foreign English-language instructor was seen slapping a two-year-old child during a class at a child daycare facility. (Japan Today)

Japan's new supercomputer Fugaku is set to begin operations around 2021 with the country aiming to regain the title of building the world's fastest computer, replacing its current supercomputer K, government-backed research institute Riken said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japanese seismologists believe that nearly 99 percent of their predictions related to massive earthquakes in the Pacific off central and western Japan are likely to prove wrong, a survey conducted by Kansai University showed Sunday. (Kyodo)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to sign an agreement on joint lunar exploration and other space-related projects when they meet here May 27, seeking to stay a step ahead of China and other rivals. (Nikkei)

Japan's Hayabusa2 probe has aborted its descent to asteroid Ryugu after it reached around 50 meters above the surface. The probe was supposed to drop a marker on the asteroid to prepare for another landing.
(NHK)

The International Olympic Committee says boxing is set to maintain its place in the 2020 Tokyo Games, but that the sport's international association should be excluded from organizing the events due to a number of problems.
(NHK)

A report released by a global union federation has demanded better conditions for laborers working on the construction of Tokyo Games facilities after several "alarming" alleged labor violations were uncovered.
(Japan Today)

In November 2018, Kawasaki were crowned champions of the J-League for the second season running despite losing 2-1 to Cerezo Osaka. Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s last-gasp home defeat to Vegalta Sendai was enough to seal the title for Kawasaki with two games to spare. (newsonjapan.com)

The online ticketing site for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo opened on Thursday, only to be overloaded by a stampede of visitors, with many customers unable to access the lottery application for long stretches of time. (Nikkei)

The Cultural Affairs Agency on Monday announced 16 additions to its Japan Heritage list of tangible and intangible cultural properties that have been preserved based on unique regional histories and traditions, including narratives. (Japan Times)

A special six-car Mickey Mouse-themed shinkansen bullet train has begun serving southwestern Japan's Kyushu region, with images of the beloved character splashed across its yellow livery and interiors. (Kyodo)

Souvenirs can be a special token from your trip and making them sustainable means that the positive effects reach the planet and the makers too.
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When picking up gifts for friends and family, it can be tempting to pop into a Daiso shop (...

One hundred years ago, on a cold February in 1919, the artist and poet Kaita Murayama left his house near current-day Yoyogi (Tokyo) and wandered into the cold night. He was discovered in a field early the next morning around 2AM and was pronounce...

The west Tokyo district of Shibuya is one of the busiest in Japan, home to the famous “Scramble” crossing and more iconic shops and bars than you can shake a stick at. There's one particular time of the year, though, when Shibuya goes into ove...

Though there was reputed to have been a culling of some of the more useless cute mascots that threaten to outnumber the humans in Japan, new one keep appearing and some make it onto manhole covers. These three were all found on my recent trips to ...

Meiji Jingu Shrine, perhaps Tokyo's best known Shinto shrine, has been a cultural icon for Japan for nearly 100 years. With easy access from Shibuya and Yoyogi Park and the nearby fashion district of Harajuku, the shrine is a Tokyo must-visit if t...

A unique and compelling aspect of traveling throughout Japan is sampling the various onsen (hot springs) and sento (community bathhouses) available. Both terms refer to public baths, the difference being that an onsen is fed by natural geothermal ...

Nobody wants to think about ending a relationship, especially at the height of it, but sadly this happens more often than not, and hey, breaking up isn't always bad news. Sometimes you just have to say it to secure yourself and even your ex-partne...